The Indian Railways has rejected demands made by locomotive pilots to provide them a break for having meals and using toilets while on duty, The Hindu reported on Wednesday.

The railway board accepted recommendations made by a high-level committee that legislation to introduce such breaks was not operationally feasible.

Scroll had reported in August and September about the long working hours and difficult conditions faced by loco pilots in India. Several loco pilots were even reducing their water intake because they do not find time to use the toilet while at work, Scroll’s Common Ground reporting project found.

The situation was particularly grim for women loco pilots, who said that poor working conditions had harmed their health, causing urinary tract infections and even miscarriages.

The Indian Railways has defended its decision to install a system that records the voice and video of the crew inside locomotive cabins, claiming that it does not breach privacy, The Hindu reported. The system was put in place to assist in the analysis if any incident is reported.

“It does not cause any additional workload on the crew, this is only a tool for enhancing operational effectiveness and ensure safe running of trains,” the board was quoted as having told general managers of zonal railways.

V Balachandran, the central organising secretary of the All India Loco Running Staff Association, told The Hindu that not providing loco pilots breaks to eat or to use the toilet could cause distractions, which compromise their alertness.

The voice and video recording system installed in loco cabins was an intrusion of privacy, Balachandran was quoted as saying.

The high-level committee was set up in July to look into the grievances expressed by loco pilots and guards.

The railway board accepted a recommendation to review the definition of high-speed trains from 110 km per hour to 130 km per hour, PTI reported. It also allowed the deployment of one assistant loco pilot in high-speed trains in specific cases.

The loco pilots’ union had demanded the deployment of additional crew in the high-speed trains.

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